Photographic apparatus for holding sensitized sheets



May 16, 1967 l.. F JENNINGS ETAL 3,319,555

PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS FOR HOLDING SENSITIZED SHEETS Filed Feb. 5, 1965 M4 T52 wwwa/.57,4

ATTORNEYS United States Patent Oliice 3,319,555 Patented May 16, 1967 PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS FOR HOLDING SENSITIZED SHEETS Lewis F. Jennings, McHenry, and Walter Wanielista,

Westchester, Ill., assignors to Robertson Photo- Mechanix, Inc., Des Plaines, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Feb. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 430,694 5 Claims. (Cl. 95-66) This invention relates to a transport holder, and more particularly to a holder for sensitized sheets wherein individual sheets may be readily inserted into the holder without damage to the sensitive qualities of the sheets.

In certain graphic arts cameras and the like photographic equipment the sheet of sensitized material on which the aerial image is projected is held for exposure in a transport holder at the focal plane in the optical track of the lens systems of the camera. The transport holder comprises a transparent plate an-d a pressure plate between which the sheet of sensitized material is held. The transparent plate faces the aerial image. The pressure plate performs the function of maintaining all portions of the sheet llat against the ilat transparent plate to ensure that all portions of the sheet lie exactly in the focal plane.

vIn the loading of a transport holder with sensitized sheets, care must be taken to prevent the sheets from being exposed to activating elements, and for these purposes the holder is loaded in a dark room or other similar type of room which has restricted light conditions. Operating under such restricted light conditions an individual photographically sensitive sheet must be inserted into the holder Without damage to the emulsion or other sensitive material on the sheet. Heretofore, transport holders have been characterized by two flat sheets joined at two edges to form a hinged together structure in the shape of a pocket or envelope. By selectively spreading the unattached edges of such a prior art transport holder, a sensitized sheet to be transported could be inserted edgewise. However, the available size of the opening for accommodating the insertion of the sheet is severely restricted. Moreover, the opening decreases in a wedge shape, thereby making the sheet insertion progressively more difficult.

In accordance with the present invention, two wholly separated plates or sheets are disposed in parallel relation and may be selectively separated and reclamped by a camming mechanism which keys the plates or sheets disposed always in parallel relation, thereby permitting ready insertion of the sensitized sheet into the holder without difficulty at any stage of insertion.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved transport holder for sensitive sheets.

Another object of this invention is to provide an irnproved transport holder which will readily accommodate light sensitive sheets without damage thereto.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved transport holder wherein two plates are cammed into parallel spaced relation with each other, to provide an access throat or opening which is uniform over the entire width of the plates, so as to readily accommodate the entry of photographically sensitive paper without damage thereto.

Other objects and advantages of this invention and a fuller understanding of the nature thereof may be had by reference to the claims and to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

On the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view partly cut away of a transport holder for receiving light sensitive sheets, constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along line Il ll of FIGURE 1, and shows the transport holder in a xed position;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along line II--I'I of FIGURE 1, showing the transport holder in operated position to readily accommodate the insertion of photographically sensitive sheets.

As shown on the drawings:

Referring now to FIGURE l there is shown a frame 10, into which is slidably mounted a slide plate 11 having a number of tabs 12 which extend slightly beyond the edge of the frame to allow a force to be applied to the tabs thereby sliding the plate 11 within the frame. The slide plate 11 is constrained from moving lin the vertical direction by a pair of similar vertical retainers 13 which overlie a portion of each end of the slide plate 11, the vertical retainer 13 being securely fastened to the frame by a number of screws 14.

A stationary guide post 15 is mounted within a guide slot 16 in the slide plate to keep the movement of the slide plate within the confines of the frame. When pressure is exerted at the tab 12 for instance to slide the slide plate Within the frame, restoring means are provided to restore the slide plate to its original position upon the removal of pressure at the tab. This restoring force may be supplied by a pair of coil springs 17 having one end attached to a stationary spring post 18 located within opening 19 of the plate 11; the other end of the spring 17 engaging a movable spring post 20, which 1is securely attached to and projects vertically from the slide plate 11. The springs 17 and the posts 18 and 20, are evenly spaced across the width of plate 11, and are in line with the direction of movement of plate 11, so that the plate is guided smoothly in its movements.

The sectional elevational views, FIGURES 2 and 3 illustrate a transport holder constructed in accordance with the present invention in which a photographically sensitive sheet is to be inserted between the opaque pressure plate 2l and the transparent glass plate 22. The glass plate 22 is mounted at one end on a shoulder 23 of the frame 10, and is supported at the other end by a retainer, such as a thin metal piece 24 driven into the frame 10.

An opaque or dark slide 25 is slidably supported on three sides of the frame 10 by similar grooves 26, and prevents the exposure of a photographically sensitive sheet when such a sheet is inserted into the holder between the pressure plate 21 and the transparent glass plate 22. An upturned handle 27 is provided on the dark slide 25 to allow the slide 25 to be readily removed from the holder.

Notice that in FIGURE 3 the pressure plate 21 has been moved to a parallel spaced relation to the glass plate 22, thus forming a uniform opening over the entire width of the plate so that a sensitized sheet may be readily inserted therebetween. A pair of metal strips 28 each having a rounded camming edge 28a are located at appropriate locations along the length of the frame 10, and are securely fastened to the frame by brackets 29 and hold down screws 30. Four leaf springs 31 are symmetrically located as shown in FIGURE 1, and as clearly shown in the cutaway view, each has an end portion 32 rigidly attached to the slide plate 11 so as to be in contact with and between the strip 28 and the slide plate 11.

Also symmetrically located in the transport holder are four clips 33, each of the clips having one end 34 rigidly attached to the pressure plate, and an upturned end 35 being situated slightly above the surface of the pressure plate 11 so as to overlie a sliding end portion 36 of the leaf spring 31. A pair of rivets 37 may be used to securely fasten the end portion 32 of the leaf spring 31 to the plate 11, and a screw and nut assembly 38 may be utilized to securely attach the end portion 34 of clip- 33 to the pressure plate,

In FIGURE 2 the pressure plate 21 is shown resting on top of the glass plate 22; the end portion 32 is shown between the strip 28 and the slide plate 11, and the coil spring 17 is in a relaxed or untensioned position. To move the pressure plate 21 to a parallel uniformly spaced position with respect to the glass plate 22, pressure is exerted on the tab 12 to slidably move the plate 11 within the frame 10. This allows the strip 2S to cam an angular portion 39 of the leaf spring 31, and by the sliding end 36 exerting an upward force on the upturned end 35, the pressure plate 21 is lifted to a parallel spaced relation with plate 22.

The rounded edges 28a of the strip 28 provide a smooth camming edge for the angular portion 39. FIGURE 3 depicts the position of the various elements of the novel transport holder after the above operation has been performed, and shows the plates 21 and 22 in uniformly spaced relation to each other. FIGURE 3 also shows an axis throat.40 formed by the upturned receiving end 41 of the pressure plate so as to readily accommodate a photographically sensitive sheet.

Upon the insertion of the sheet into the transport holder, and the release of pressure from tab 12, the slide plate 11 will be returned to its normal position by the release of tension in coil spring 17. The pressure plate 21 will also similarly be lowered to its normal position so as to exert pressure on the sheet forcing it against the glass plate 22.

As is shown most appropriately in FIGURES 2 or 3, the guide posts 15 are securely attached to and vertically extend from the pressure plate 21 through an aperture in the strip 28, so as to guide the pressure plate in its move- -ment to and away from the glass plate 22. Also, it might be noticed that the stationary spring post 18 is similarly held in position by being rigidly attached to and perpendicularly extending from the pressure plate 21 and through an aperture in the strip 28.

Other arrangements such as a rigid cylindrical rod may be used in place of the metal stripl 28 to cam the leaf spring 39 so as to uniformly space the pressure plate fromv the glass plate.

Thus, although minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that we wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of our contribution to the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a transport holder for light sensitive sheets,

a -frame assembly,

a transparent plate mounted in said frame,

aV pressure plate mounted in said frame for movement in parallel spaced relation to said transparent plate,

a slide plate slidably mounted in the frame adjacent said pressure plate for controlling the movement of the pressure plate,

a leaf spring normally biasing said pressure plate toward said transparent plate and having two similar end portions and an angular portion therebetween, one of said end portions rigidly attached to said slide plate and the other end portion engaging said pressure plate, a clip rigidly attached to said pressure plate on the side facing said slide plate, one end of said clip overlying said other end portion of said leaf spring, and

stationary cam means mounted on said frame for reacting on said angular portion of said leaf spring to cam said pressure plate and said transparent plate into a parallel spaced relation assaid slide plate is moved in said frame.

2. In a transport holder for light sensitive sheets,

a frame assembly,

a transparent plate mounted in said frame,

pressure plate mounted in said frame for movement in parallel spaced relation to said transparent'plate, slide plate slidably mounted in the frame adjacent said pressure plate -for controlling the movement of said pressure plate,

leaf spring having two similar end portions and an angular portion therebetween, one end of said leaf spring rigidly attached to said slide plate, the other end of said leaf spring in contact with the surface of said pressure plate,

clip rigidly attached to said pressure plate, one end of said clip overlying the other end of said leaf spring resting on said pressure plate surface, and

rod rigidly mounted in said frame immediately beneath and in contact with the end portion of said leaf spring attached to said slide plate, said rod mounted transversely to the movement of saidl slide plate, so that upon movement of said slide plate in said frame the rod acts upon the angular portion of the leaf spring to cam the pressure plate and the transparent plate into a parallel spaced relationship to form a uniform opening between the last-mentioned pair of plates and thereby readily accommodate the insertion of said sensitized sheets.

. In a transport holder for light sensitive sheets,

frame assembly,

transparent plate mounted in the frame to form a smooth transparent surface for the sheets,

pressure plate having a normally intimate contacting position with said transparent plate to securelymaintain the sensitized sheets to be inserted theretween,

guide means for guiding said pressure plate in parallel movement from said transparent plate,

slide plate slidably mounted in the frame adjacent said pressure plate for controlling the movement of said-pressure plate,

leaf spring having two similar end portions and an angular portion therebetween, one end of said leaf spring rigidly attached to said slide plate, the other end of said leaf spring in sliding contact with the surface of said pressure plate, a clip rigidly attached to said pressure plates having one end immediately overlying the sliding end of said leaf spring,

cans to react on the anguluar portion of said leaf spring as said slide plate is operatively moved within said frame to cam said pressure plate and said transparent plate into a parallel spaced relation thereby forming a uniform throat opening between the lastmentioned plates to readily accommodate the insertion of sensitized sheets therebetween, at least two spring hold posts stationary mounted within said frame in the direction of movement of said slide plate,

least two tension spring posts rigidly attached to said slide plate, each of said tension spring posts in line with a corresponding one of said spring hold posts on the downstream side of the operative movement of said slide plate, and

pair of coil springs, one end of each of said spring connected to one of said spring hold posts, the other end of each said spring attached to the corresponding in line tension spring post, said pairs of springs acting to restore said pressure plate to said normal position.

In a transport holder for light sensitive sheets, frame assemibly, v transparent plate mounted in the frame to form a smooth transparent surface for the sheets,

pressure plate having a normally intimate contacting position with said transparent plate to securely maintain the sensitized sheets to be inserted therebetween,

movement from said transparent plate,

a slide plate slidably mounted in the frame adjacent said pressure plate for controlling the movement of the pressure plate,

at least two leaf springs symmetrically located along the width of said slide plate, each of said leaf springs having similar end portions and an angular portion therebetween, one of said end portions rigidly attached to said slide plate, the other end of said leaf spring resting on and in slidable contact with the surface of said pressure plate,

`a clip rigidly attached to said pressure plate having an end portion immediately overlying the sliding end portion of each said leaf spring, and restoring means associated with said slide plate to return said pressure plate to the normal position.

5. In a transparent holder for light sensitive sheets,

a frame assembly,

a transparent plate mounted in the frame to form a smooth transparent surface for the sheets,

a pressure plate mounted in said frame, having a normally intimate contacting position with said transparent plate to securely maintain the sensitized sheets inserted therebetween,

said pressure plate having an upturned portion along one end of said plate forming a throat entrance between said pressure plate and said transparent plate,

guide means for guiding said pressure plate in parallel 4movement from said transparent plate,

a slide plate slidably mounted in the frame adjacent said pressure plate for controlling the movement of the pressure plate,

a leaf spring having two similar end portions and an angular portion therebetween, one end of said leaf spring rigid-ly attached to said slide plate, the other end of said leaf spring resting on and in slida'ble contact with the surface of said pressure plate,

ya clip rigidly attached to said pressure plate, having one end immediately overlying the sliding end portion of said leaf spring,

means mounted within said frame to react on the angular portion of said leaf spring as said slide plate is moved within said frame to cam said pressure plate and said transparent plate into a parallel spaced relation to readily accommodate the insertion of said sensitized sheets via said throat entrance into the uniform opening between said last-mentioned plates, and means for restoring said pressure plate to said normal position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,05 6,279 10/1936` Kulick 95-66' X 2,260,672 10/ 1941 Johanson 88-24 2,427,5 54 9/ 1947 Drucker 88--24 2,628,545 2/1953 Kurnick 95-66- X JOHN M. HO'RAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A TRANSPORT HOLDER FOR LIGHT SENSITIVE SHEETS, A FRAME ASSEMBLY, A TRANSPARENT PLATE MOUNTED IN SAID FRAME, A PRESSURE PLATE MOUNTED IN SAID FRAME FOR MOVEMENT IN PARALLEL SPACED RELATION TO SAID TRANSPARENT PLATE, A SLIDE PLATE SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN THE FRAME ADJACENT SAID PRESSURE PLATE FOR CONTROLLING THE MOVEMENT OF THE PRESSURE PLATE, A LEAF SPRING NORMALLY BIASING SAID PRESSURE PLATE TOWARD SAID TRANSPARENT PLATE AND HAVING TWO SIMILAR END PORTIONS AND AN ANGULAR PORTION THEREBETWEEN, ONE OF SAID END PORTIONS RIGIDLY ATTACHED TO SAID SLIDE PLATE AND THE OTHER END PORTION ENGAGING SAID PRESSURE PLATE, A CLIP RIGIDLY ATTACHED TO SAID PRESSURE PLATE ON THE SIDE FACING SAID SLIDE PLATE, ONE END OF SAID CLIP OVERLYING SAID OTHER END PORTION OF SAID LEAF SPRING, AND STATIONARY CAM MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME FOR REACTING ON SAID ANGULAR PORTION OF SAID LEAF SPRING TO CAM SAID PRESSURE PLATE AND SAID TRANSPARENT PLATE INTO A PARALLEL SPACED RELATION AS SAID SLIDE PLATE IS MOVED IN SAID FRAME. 